Faith is looking a little pale and trying not to show how shocked she is by the news about Text.

I hear a noise from the pool house. I look over and Text is standing there with a towel wrapped around his waist and a horrified look on his face. Fuck. He has been listening to my whole conversation with Faith. He is staring at me like I have broken a sacred vow of silence about the island.

I scrub my hand over my face before getting up from the daybed. I walk over to Text, whose hands are fisted at his sides.

I get close enough to try to talk quietly to him and the bastard decks me hard with a pretty good right hook.

I go down like a wimp. Faith screams out to Text to stop while I’m in lala land, rolling around on the ground.

“Fuck, dude. That hurt.” I’m trying to see past the pain. “That was an awesome right hook, but shit, I have a date with Birdie Evans tomorrow night. I was trying to look as pretty as possible. You just fucked that up.” I feel my cheek bone. It’s going to be bruised and angry tomorrow.

I look back up at Text who is now looking more horrified at what he just did to me. “Spit it out, dude. Tell me what that was all about?”

As Text comes back to himself, he’s got this lost puppy dog look on his face. He knows he’s fucked up.

He puts his hands out, helping me up. I let him. I know this shit is hard for him to hear.

“Shit, dude! You didn’t have to deck me. I’m all ears if there’s something on your mind you wanna discuss.” I pat him on the back.

Text is looking around, like he’s trying to find that Goddamn phone of his so he can start typing away.

“No phone, buddy? Well, that makes two of us. Look, I get this shit is hard for you to hear. I didn’t lie. You were a Goddamn hero. Own it, and stop fucking my face up. I can see you are having a full blown conversation with yourself in your head. I’m a person, too. I’ll let you off this time, but the next time you go to deck me, it’s game on. I’ll whoop your ass. Don’t say I haven’t warned you. This shit has got to stop.”

Text hangs his head. The fight has left the building. I know he feels bad. He could rant and rave and call me all the swear words he can think up, as long as he talked to me.

“You’re not playing fair, buddy.” I tap his head. “I don’t know what is going on in that head of yours. I want to help. We all want to help.”

Shit, now he’s got me feeling sorry for him. I know he doesn’t want me to do that.

“No hard feelings. But you owe me a verbal explanation one of these days for that outburst.”

Text is shifting back and forwards uncomfortably. My face hurts. We will both get over it.

Faith is approaching Text carefully.

Bear has come over to investigate.

“Bit late, buddy.” I scratch him behind the ears.

“If you will excuse me, Faith, I have to go and get ready for dinner with Phoenix. I have to explain to her about Birdie.”

I look over at Text. “Buddy, I’ll talk to you later. Just try not to hit anything other than the gym.”